New Hero
by DustyFeet296
Summary: After another failure fighting the penguins, a phoenix named Hitori crashed into Blowhole, and he finds himself making friends with Private, falling in love, and protecting Hitori from the penguins and their new corrupt leader, Cymric.
1. Chapter 1

The footsteps of webbed feet got louder as Blowhole's enemy walked

right into the trap he had laid for him. Suddenly, a black-and-white animal

flashed across the clearing. Skipper came to a stop up against the smooth

gray wall. He then stealthily slid to a small door at the end of the corner in

the desolate

room. Once he got the entry to the next area, he cautiously brought his

flipper to the knob. Once he was almost touching it, he quickly grabbed it.

He then turned key to revealing a new territory. Once the wooden portal

was wide open, his foe stepped into range of his trick. The penguin's eyes

widened in a mix of fear and amazement as Blowhole appeared on a

screen before him.

"Welcome to my parlor, said the dolphin to the penguin." He jeered.

"Just tell me where my friends are!" The flat-headed penguin demanded.

Blowhole laughed, making his enemy cringe. "Why, they're right in front ofyour face, Skipper!"

Blowhole pressed a large red button on his control panel with his nose.

Suddenly, Skipper's teammates appeared before him. They were chained

up on an invisible brick block; this was a plan Blowhole was quite proud of.

Skipper would never know how to free his crew now.

Skipper looked around nervously, trying to find a way to save his

flightless buddies. He then jumped seemingly as high as he could into the

air. He then kicked a spot in between Kowalski and Rico, and a cracking

sound was heard.

But that's impossible! Blowhole thought angrily. For a hit to be

that strong is unheard of.

Skipper kept striking at the same spot, until finally it broke into two

pieces that fell to the ground. Kowalski was on one alone, Rico and Private on

the other together. Skipper hit Rico's stomach, and out his mouth came a drill.

The way it shone so brightly made it look like angels themselves carved it.

Skipper then delved it into the ghostly red block made of top soil and cement

that held his comrades captive. The three soldiers got off the ground, and in a

split second were by their leader's side.

Blowhole clapped unhurriedly. "Impressive!" he said. "Very much so."

"Alright Blowhole," Skipper retorted. "We won this time, fair and square."

Then to his subordinates he said, "Let's get out of here."

"Oh, you're far from finishing this yet, Skipper!" Blowhole

snickered. Blowhole was suddenly appeared before them in reality. He then

pulled a switch on his scooter, and suddenly knives were on the tips of his

flippers. He clawed the side of Skipper's face with a harsh blow. Skipper

grunted; then slapped Rico's stomach. Out came a long, shining sword. Skipper

charged at him, his weapon ready to stab Blowhole's stomach. Right when

Skipper's blow almost pierced him, Blowhole dodged the attack. He then pinned

Skipper to the ground, and slashed the top of his head. Suddenly he felt blood

leak down his back. Kowalski had stuck a dagger into his poor moisturized skin.

Blowhole let out a growl, then scratched Kowalski's stomach. His cheek was then

slapped by Rico, making it numb and bruised. Tired of getting so many beatings,

he decided to call his lobster minions to fight for him. While they battled

Skipper and his colleagues, Blowhole would leave. His crustacean warriors soon arrived, and they fought with all their might. While his attackers were

distracted, he flew upward in his scrambler, escaping from his own base.

"Coward!" Skipper spat from below.

Blowhole rolled his eyes. He wasn't escaping because he scared, he was

leaving because he could let his soldiers handle it. He might as well save the

time.

He closed his eyes as he flew through the sky. It was so convenient that he didn't have to flap anything; he could just relax and enjoy the wind blowing

in his face. He then looked up at the bright sky that was dotted with fluffy

white clouds. But wait; he suddenly spotted a strange yellow dot moving around

in the yonder. It seemed to be get bigger every second; no, it was soaring

downward. It was soon close enough for him identify what it was; a bird.

"Look out!" It yelled. Now that it said something, Blowhole was able to

tell that it was a girl of some kind.

There was a big gash on her left wing; red liquid was rapidly leaking out

of it. She must have been hurt, and her flier was going out of control.

Wham! Suddenly she hit him; he had been thinking instead of moving

out of the way, like he should have done.

The impact of the crash sent him falling toward the ground. Blowhole

closed his eyes, preparing for the incredible pain he'd soon experience.

But to his surprise, it never came. Instead, he felt himself land on

something soft, somewhat feathery, and it tickled his nose, making him

sneeze.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "I'm uh, Hitori, by the way. And about hitting

you, it was an accident, and um, I seriously didn't mean to do it. I apologize

sincerely."

That young lady Blowhole had seen before, the one that had accidentally

hit him, had caught him. Saved him. She smiled at him, and he gave

her a rude sniff of disapproval in return. He flopped off her, and crossed

his flippers angrily.

"Thanks a lot," he muttered sarcastically. "You broke the only thing I

could move. Oh, and quite frankly I couldn't care less about what your name is."

Hitori gasped. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "There must be something I

can do to make it up to you."

Blowhole thought for a moment. She had wings; well, obviously. If she

could just take him back to his place, which, hopefully, Skipper and his crew

were no longer at, where he could make himself something else to shift with.

"Take me back to where I live; I should be able to handle things from

there."

Hitori nodded. "Okay, I'll do my best. I injured my flight feathers when I

hit the ground, though. It might be kind of a bumpy ride."

"Fine," Blowhole groaned. "I guess it'll have to do."

Hitori squirmed on the ground until she could get under Blowhole, and

heave him up. Blowhole had to hold on tightly to Hitori. She then made a few

hops, getting ready, and soon they were up in the air. Blowhole had to steer

her in the right direction, as she didn't know where to go. Suddenly Blowhole

noticed he had a cut on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth together. Getting

that bandaged up so that it wouldn't get infected was just another thing to do;

and give him less time to think of evil plans.

After a while, they reached their destination. Hitori let out a deep

breath of relief when Blowhole got off her. Blowhole assumed he had been pretty

heavy; Hitori was pretty small, after all. Blowhole had to slither on the

ground like a snake to move. He went into his home, grabbed a piece of white

cloth from his medical cabinet, and handed it to Hitori.

"Fix yourself up. It's not that good, I know, but for now, it's all I've

got. Just be grateful that I gave you anything at all. I don't do things like

this for most."

"Thank you," she replied wrapping it around her minor wound.

Blowhole shrugged. The it randomly began to rain. Blowhole slapped his

forehead in frustration; his fortress had no roof. Droplets of water fell onto

his head, and Hitori shifted her talons uncomfortably due to getting wet. The

normally bright rainbow glow around Hitori's body then started to become dull. The sky soon became so dark that Blowhole couldn't tell if it was day or night.

But he was so exhausted from all the recent awkward happenings that he decided

to go to sleep at that time regardless.

Hitori still hadn't left. "Let me guess," he said. "You want to stay the

night here."

"Well, yes." Hitori looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "If I can."

"You may; whatever. You're welcome here as long as you want, if you

don't bother me, anyway." Hitori didn't move her head, but her eyes shifted

upward, looking at Blowhole, and a slight smile formed on her face. Suddenly

there was a great boom: thunder. A storm was approaching.

"Now," he continued. "Follow me. Unless you want to get struck by

lightning."

Hitori followed him as he led her to under a table. It wasn't very

spacious, but it was the only place with a roof.

"Good night," Hitori whispered once they had both settled down.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. "You too." He was surprised that he bothered

to give her any response. He'd normally ignore something like that. He hated to think it, but it was true. He kind of liked Hitori. Well, not really, he just

tolerated her more than most others. At least she didn't annoy him.

Soon it was day, and the thunderstorm had stopped, and there were puddles

dappled all over the floor. The air felt moist, and the scent of nearby pine

trees was much more noticeable.

Hitori squeezed her way out from under where they had taken cover. Her

nose twitched uncomfortably, so Blowhole assumed she wasn't found of the rain

smell that now lingered in this place.

After a few hours of work, Blowhole had made something he could

move on.

They were just pads he put on his bottom flippers; they allowed him to

float, and were much easier to use than that old thing he had to drive

around. His stomach then growled, reminding him of his hunger. He

hovered over to his food supply and grabbed some fish. He'd normally have his lobsters get him his

breakfast, but it was very early, and he'd rather not wake up one of his army

members at this hour, as that would make them tired and bad at work later. He

went into the other room and dropped his meal onto the table. He soon noticed

that Hitori was staring at his eats.

"Have some," he offered exasperatingly.

Hitori smiled and took one. She took a quick, small nibble, and after a

bit of chewing, obviously struggled to swallow it.

"You don't like it, do you?"

Hitori slowly shook her head with a look of discontent. Blowhole sighed.

"I'll try to find you something else."

Why does she have to be so picky? Blowhole thought, annoyed and

taking back every somewhat positive thing he had thought about her the night

before. He tried offering her bread and even a flower, thinking she might be

more of an omnivore, but she stuck her nose up at both. He was now going to try

giving her an apple, but if she didn't like it either, she'd just have to have

it anyway, because he was sick of going on a wild goose chase just to find

something for someone he hardly knew.

"Okay, you better like this." Blowhole handed Hitori the bright red fruit.

He could tell by the light that instantly flickered into her eyes when she took

a bite that he had finally found something she favored. There was no need to

even ask her if she was enjoying it.

Blowhole spent the rest of the morning showing Hitori his base. His

workers seemed to be pleased with Hitori's presence.

By the end of the day, Blowhole had to admit to himself that he had grown

quite fond of Hitori. The world seemed to be new to her, as she didn't know

what many things were. He wasn't sure he should ask where she had been all her

years yet, as it could be something she wasn't comfortable with talking about,

but he must admit that he was curious.

A bit before they were going to go to bed, they heard a crash. Blowhole's

eyes shrunk in surprise. The penguins had busted in! Teeth gritted, Blowhole

growled. It was quite unusual for them to come back this quickly.

Skipper ran into the room, but to Blowhole's shock, he wasn't after him.

He was after Hitori.

"So," Skipper snarled, just then noticing that Blowhole was there, too.

"You're after the phoenix as well."

Blowhole blinked. "The what? Tell me exactly what you're talking about

before you jump to conclusions."

"He doesn't even know what she is," Skipper mocked him, glancing up at his

teammates. "That is a phoenix. You know, the bird of legend. And she's the last

one; as far as anyone knows, anyway."

"Skipper, maybe we should leave. I don't see why we have to do anything to

her." Private whispered to Skipper. The flat-head slapped him, harsher than

usual.

"Cymric's orders, Private. We're not going against his word."

Private didn't look convinced that whatever they were doing was as important as Skipper described. But he obviously didn't want to argue with his

leader any longer. "Yes, sir." His voice was meek, and he seemed to shrink half

his size.

Blowhole wasn't liking what was going on. It was suspicious. Grabbing a

small word on a nearby table, he rushed at Skipper, and tried to jab him. But

his foe dodged the attack, and hit Blowhole with a blow that made him spit

red liquid out. Something wasn't right here. Skipper was much strong than usual.

Kowalski and Rico had got a hold of Hitori, and Private just watched, a

look of doubt that they were doing the right thing clouded over his face.

Hitori let out screeches of fear as she was restricted. Suddenly, Blowhole felt

filled with rage. He wouldn't stand for these stupid pests constantly after

him, and seemingly others, any longer. He pushed Kowalski and Rico off Hitori

and climbed onto her back.

"I know you're still probably hurt, but at least try try to get us out of

here." He demanded.

"I'll try," Hitori nodded and sounded as determined as he was to leave.

She struggled to stretch out her wings, and then soared upward. The penguins

below them tried to reach them, but they were too high up already. Blowhole

grinned, and narrowed his eyes, at Skipper. He had grown tiresome of him and

his team constantly raiding on him. Little did they know that there were times

he wanted peace, too. Blowhole groaned at the thought of them always

bombarding him.

"I'm going to assume you know them." Hitori looked at Blowhole expectantly.

"Yeah, for a long time. They're constantly trying to get in my way and stuff."

"I'm sorry." Hitori needlessly apologized, frowing. "They don't like me,

either. Well, we don't really know each other, it's just that their commander

wants me because the drop of a phoenix's blood can give the gift of

immortality." After a pause, she reminded him that he still hadn't let her know

who he was. "Um, excuse me, I hope I don't sound rude or pushy or anything, but

you still haven't given me your name."

Blowhole sighed. "Blowhole," he let her know her reluctantly. Then he

shrugged, realizing it probably wouldn't do any harm.

"Oh, okay." For a couple of heartbeats, there was silence. Then she spoke

again. "Would you mind if I stuck with you a while? I'm afraid to be alone,

with those guys we just encountered constantly after me." She admitted.

Blowhole thought for a while. He didn't necessarily want to become

anyone's bodyguard, but he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Hitori. He

almost felt the same way, and with the same pests, too. If he let her tag along

with him, wherever he might go, the penguins would follow them, and he might be

able to destroy them once and for all.

"Alright," he decided. "You may stay with me. But no pestering me. In

fact, I'd prefer you avoid talking to me at all costs."

Hitori landed onto the grassy ground. "Don't worry, I won't be a burden."

Then, she solemnly added, "I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

"Wow! I can see me!"

"Your point?"

Hitori was staring at her reflection in a lake in awe. Her eyes wide, she

gently touched the water. Her muscles tensed as a ring rippled her body and

made it disappear for a moment. She let out a sigh of relief when she was back.

Blowhole chuckled slightly. "It'd not actually you, ya' know."

Hitori shrugged. "It must be something living though, right? I assume

everything has something to it."

"Well, you assume incorrectly," Blowhole muttered. Then, more clearly, he

said, "Come on. We need to get going. Find a place to set up camp."

Hitori nodded and followed Blowhole. He had been with Hitori for about a

week now. He was starting to get used to having someone with him, as somewhat

of an equal, but it still felt kind of strange to him. Blowhole sighed. He

looked at Hitori. She was smiling; of course. She always did. It made him feel

uncomfortable. For some reason it worried him. Like she didn't understand how

harsh the real world was. Still he couldn't help but wonder where she came from.

Blowhole and Hitori had picked a place to spend the night. Blowhole stared

at Hitori, wondering if she was awake or not.

"Hitori?" He whispered.

It took a while for her to reply, as though she wasn't sure if him calling

her name was her imagination or not, and was afraid to reply, in case she'd

wake him up. "Yes?" She said finally.

"I want to know where you come from."

Hitori took a deep breath. "Promise to tell nobody."

Blowhole blinked. This was one strange girl. He nodded anyway, a bit

reluctantly. She hesitated, and then began what would probably be a long story.

"I'm the last phoenix," she murmured. "My mother, when she was alive, had

to keep me away from the rest of the world. She warned me that others would use

what I have for wrong reasons."

"What exactly do you posses?"

Hitori stared at him like he was an idiot. Blowhole blushed. Was this

something he was supposed to know?

"A phoenix's blood can give any creature immortality." Suddenly Hitori

winced. "I shouldn't have said that." She quietly remarked to herself. Her eyes

grew wide with fear. She instantly stood up, and started to leave. But Blowhole

pulled her back.

"Do you think I want that?"

Hitori gazed at him for a long while. Then she looked down, and shook her

head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have judged you instantly." She looked up at him,

and a slight twinkle of admiration seemed to flash in her eyes. But after an

instant, it was gone. "You're different."

Blowhole tried to not show his fear. What would Hitori think if she

knew I've tried to destroy the world countless times? He thought. She would

probably leave him. Normally, if somebody was tagging along with him, he would

be glad to get them out of his moisturized skin. But he felt a bit differently

about Hitori. He wouldn't exactly mind that much, but he might be a bit

disappointed.

Hitori lay down again. She grinned at him, then closed her eyes. "Good

night."

Though Blowhole knew she couldn't see it, he nodded. Then he stared up at

the sky, dappled with tiny white lights. Hitori gasped in surprise, her eyes

bursting open in alarm.

"What's wrong?" He asked, unable to hide his concern.

"They're just so beautiful!"

"The gasses in the yonder?" He couldn't believe she had awoken him from

being half-asleep just because she saw pretty things.

Hitori laughed. "No, silly. I mean the bright parts in the darkness

beyond!"

Blowhole was puzzled. "Um, they're called stars, and the "beyond" is the

sky."

"Oh."

Blowhole was flabbergasted. How could a bird not know what those were?

As if she had read his mind, Hitori explained, "All my life, my mom had me

hide in a cave in faraway mountains. Whenever I looked up, all I saw was brown."

That must have been a boring life, Blowhole couldn't help but

think. He then sniffled out a yawn, and realized his eyes were drooping, and

that he was getting tired.

"Okay, have a nice rest," then, he added, a bit grudgingly, "for real this

time."

The sun making him hot and shining in his face woke Blowhole up. Standing

and stretching his stiff legs, he prodded Hitori to awaken as well.

Groggily, she got off her bed of leaves. Instinctively, she looked around,

for food, Blowhole assumed.

"Are there any apples around here, you think?" She wondered.

Ever since Blowhole had given Hitori one of the bright red fruits, she had

become obsessed with them, to the point it was the only thing she would eat.

Then again, he had never really offered her anything else.

"I don't know, but I can find you something else."

Hitori looked unsure, as though he might give her some of her most

despised food, fish.

"Wait here," he said. "And I mean it. I'll be right back, so don't go

wandering off."

As he was off, Hitori nodded. He hoped she wouldn't leave. Last time he

had left her alone he came back to find her gone. After hours of trying to find

her, she found her in some kind of animal trap, covered in blood. It reminded

him coldly of when he had been captured by humans. Seeing them try to take her,

too, or maybe just injure her, perhaps even worse, made his hate for them grow.

Why were they so cruel?

Then again, he was spiteful, too. He himself had done some awful things.

But they were for good reasons. He was sure of it. Nobody else understood. If

animals let people constantly step on them like bugs, eventually one day they

might get rid of or enslave them all.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of his worst nightmare, Blowhole

spotted a piece of bread something had left behind. He tore off the part that

had been bitten into, picked it up, and went back to Hitori. It probably

wouldn't be enough for her, but he could find something else if he needed to.

"I'm back," he said once he had returned. He was relieved to find Hitori

was there.

"Good; it's about time!" She replied, sounding frustrated. But then he

noticed humor glittering in her eyes. "My stomach is growling louder than you

do when you're angry."

Blowhole couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. He sat down and

stared into space as she bit into her food. Thankfully, he got no complaints

from her about it, though she showed no signs of liking it much. He assumed she

was so hungry now that she didn't care what she had. Blowhole then realized he

was pretty starved, too.

"Hey, can you wait here for a few moments longer?" He asked. "I want to

get something for myself, too."

Hitori nodded. " Sure. Could you get me something else, too, maybe?"

"Sure," he then turned around and went back into the deeper part of the

forest.

Blowhole was thinking, of course. About Hitori. He had been ever since he

met her, really. Or, at least ever since they started traveling together.

Something about her was unique to Blowhole. And he felt things for her he had

for nobody else before. When he had first met her, she had crashed into him,

and he had seen her as only another nuisance. But after a while of being with

her, he had seen her as somewhat of a companion.

Then he realized that their alliance wouldn't last long. The only reason

she wasn't staying with him at his lair was because he hadn't wanted her there

before. So he had suggested they find her a new home.

"Where could I go where I'd have protection?" She had wondered.

"I've heard of a place," Blowhole recalled. "My mother would tell my

brothers about it in stories before they went to sleep. I don't know if it's

real, but we could try finding it. Apparently whenever you want something, it

grows in the ground, and nobody can attack each other there."

Hitori's eyes had gleamed with amazement. "It sounds perfect," she had

sighed dreamily.

Thinking of those stories his mom had told his siblings, Blowhole

remembered the terrible days with his family. Blue and White were constantly

bullying him, and Cora had never done anything to stop them from doing so. In

fact, behind his back, she encourages them to tease Blowhole. She had never

liked him. He was born small, weak, and sickly. Nobody had cared for him; ever.

One day, White wandered off, and Cora hadn't been watching him. He was killed.

And Cora refused to take the blame. So she had said it was Blowhole's fault,

and after another beating, she left him to die, with no shelter, food, or

anyone to love him.

Maybe that was why he appreciated Hitori. She was the first creature he

had ever met to show any kindness to him. There were ones who had before, he

recalled, but they had betrayed him. And the two who stuck with him were

killed. Murdered by the traitors. He supposed maybe his lobster army liked him,

but he assumed it was only because he fed them, and gave them a place to stay.

Hitori seemed different, and he had a strange vibe that she wouldn't leave him.

Blowhole realized he was now close to a human suburban area. He could tell

by the disgusting smell of smoke that lingered around. Blowhole didn't

understand why they couldn't be content with nature itself. They had to make

everything themselves. He could probably find something for Hitori if ventured

into the unfamiliar territory, but he just couldn't. In truth, he was

scared. Maybe not all of them wouldn't make him do tricks, and hit him when he

didn't perform, but old habits die hard. He turned away and got as far away

from that place as he could.

Blowhole sighed. Blowhole had been searching for quite a while now. How

long would it take? The worst part was that he had seen plenty of fish. Why did

Hitori have to be so picky?

"Stupid girl," he muttered.

I wonder if I'm making a mistake. Maybe I should just go back home, and

things can go back to the way they were.

But somehow he couldn't bear the thought of the penguins getting Hitori.

Without him, he was sure they would catch her; if they were still after her,

anyway. They hadn't seem Skipper and his crew since their first encounter after

Blowhole had met Hitori, but somehow he couldn't shake off the feeling they

would have more trouble with them later. If his enemies caught Hitori, that

would mean they beat him. Again. This could be his chance to win.

Blowhole's thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the trees. He let

out a slight growl.

"Who's there?" He hissed.

No reply came.

"Answer me!" He spat.

A black-and-white shape fell down from the branches. It was small, round-

headed, and screaming.

"Ow," he groaned as he hit the floor.

"Private!" Blowhole gasped.

Private stood up. He was movements were wobbly, and looked he looked like

a drunk.

Instinctively, he grabbed Private, and held him up.

"Go back to your precious zoo!" He snarled. Private was wide-eyed. "And

leave Hitori and I alone!"

Private blinked. "Calm down," he said. "I'm not on Skipper's side anymore.

I've come to help you."

Blowhole narrowed his eyes. "Oh really?" He asked.

"Yes."

Blowhole snorted. He didn't believe a word, and he was going to make sure

Private knew that.

He was about to mock Private, but then he thought hard. Private had always

been more kindhearted than the others. Maybe he was telling the truth. He had

looked reluctant to hurt Hitori last time they met.

Blowhole sighed. "All right, I'll think about trusting you." He

said, feeling awkward. "Tell me why you, and Skipper," he gritted his teeth as

he said his foe's name, "are after Hitori."

Private shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "We're kind of not after her," he

explained. "I'm not, really. And neither are Kowalski and Rico. We're just

doing what Skipper tells us. That's how things have always been for us, really.

It's natural." He paused slightly.

"Go on." Blowhole pushed.

"Right," Private muttered, staring down at the ground. Looking up,

straight at Blowhole, he went on, speaking clearer. "Skipper has teamed up with

a guy called Cymric. It was all very sudden. One day he left to go train by

himself for some days. He could hardly do so at the zoo anymore. The lemur's

music was too loud." Private's eyes were glittering with amusement. "When he

came back, he started acting a lot different. He treated us quite unkindly. And

he said he wasn't our captain anymore, and that he served Cymric. He insisted

we did, too. He took us to Cymric, and he told us to go after the last

phoenix."

Blowhole nodded. "Go on. I know she's the last." Honestly, he was

disgusted by how they would be after her when now, she's the only one of

her kind.

But why was Blowhole suddenly caring? He never had before. He tried to

flood the whole world. But he instantly shook his head. That was different. He

had been completely justified, and no one could tell him otherwise. He wasn't

going to kill anyone. Just make humans jump through hoops. It served them

right. They made him do it.

His thoughts were interrupted when Private went on. "He wanted a drop of

her blood, so that he could become immortal. That's what that stuff does, you

know, if you drink it."

"Hitori told me," Blowhole let him know reluctantly.

"Cymric already has control of all of our species."

Private's words alone seemed to be a great force that threw him at a tree.

But he was still in the same spot, to Blowhole's surprise. There must be

millions of penguins out there! Surely he didn't truly command each and every

one.

Blowhole decided to let Private go on. He wasn't sure if he believed him

or not, though. It all seemed impossible, and yet, there was no reason for him

to make these things up. It wasn't endangering him in any way, if he wasn't

really trying to help him and Hitori.

"Cymric trains the young to be his soldiers. He and his guards use harsh

methods. Kidnapping, beating, and for some, even brainwashing."

Despite his villainous mind, dark heart, and all the things that were

terrible he had done, this disgusted him. Too much. If he had eaten anything

he might have barfed.

"Older ones are enslaved. And if Cymric decides a child isn't obedient

enough, they became slaves, too."

"I guess you go through all that harsh training?"

Private nodded. "But since I came with Skipper, I'm a bit more trusted,

thankfully. They don't suspect I'm a traitor. They monitor others more. Skipper

has assured Cymric I can be trusted. So I can sneak out pretty easily when I

want, but if I'm gone too long, I'll need to get back as soon as possible. If

they miss me, they'll expect something's up." Private shuddered. "Speaking of

me being gone for too long, I think I have been. I better get back. Tomorrow

morning I will come back and give you more information. Meet me at this same

place." Then, he added, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Blowhole replied quietly. "I think we're going to need it."

With a fish for himself and some potatoes chips he had found in a

trashcan for Hitori, he headed back to her. There was some mold on her food,

but she refused to eat meat, so for her, food was scarce. Even for him, it was

a bit. They had to eat whatever they could. Winter would come soon. There were

fewer fish to find, and soon he may have to try eating other things.

"Here," he said, giving her the snack.

"Thank goodness." She let out a sigh of relief. "I'm starving! What took

you so long?"

Blowhole explained meeting Private, and how it took a while to find things

to eat.

Hitori let out a grunt of understanding. "That's fine." She chirped. "I'm

just glad you got something. Ever since my mother died, I haven't hardly been

able to get much." She took a bite, and instantly, spat it out.

Blowhole was about to snap at her for being picky, but then he saw that

she had bitten into mold.

"Er, yeah," he said. "Don't eat the green spots."

Hitori blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Blowhole didn't reply. And for a while, everything was quiet. Then,

Blowhole uncontrollably laughed. She actually ate something emerald-

colored? Ridiculous!

Hitori giggled with him.

Then, after a while, they stopped, and Hitori asked, "Okay, what's so

funny?"


End file.
